Disconnected Modem
by tastes-like-ciel
Summary: Suzaku’s best friend, Lelouch Lamperouge, overdosed on a bottle of sleeping pills and died. The day after the funeral, he sent Suzaku an e-mail. // “You don’t have to be alone anymore…because I’m here for you. And I always will be.”
1. Hello?

Title: Disconnected Modem

Genre: Horror/Romance

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: AU. SuzaLulu. Self challenge. A curse word or two is used. If you think the rating is too low, please tell me. I don't think it is, but a second opinion never hurts.

Summary: Suzaku's best friend, Lelouch Lamperouge, overdosed on a bottle of sleeping pills and died. The day after the funeral, he sent Suzaku an e-mail. // But receiving letters from the dead had that effect on people, didn't they.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. Story and story title inspired by the song Hello by Poe and by Serial Experiments Lain. Also, credit goes to The Solar Being for giving me the idea for the Zodiac part…which didn't turn out that great.

Serena: The idea for this story was vaguely inspired by Serial Experiments Lain, but it was mostly the song that I mentioned in the disclaimer that made me want to write this. It's a very good song. I suggest you all listen to it. This is actually the fourth part to my self challenge. The theme this time is "Nightmare". Hope you enjoy it. :D

-X-X-X-X-

"M.O.D. are you out there?  
I can't see your face  
But you left a trace on a data back-road  
That I almost erased  
Not even God takes this long to get back  
So get back  
Cause I hit a fork in the road  
Lost my way home  
I'm cut off from the main line  
Like a disconnected modem  
Hello  
Tap in the code  
I'll reach you below  
No one should brave the underworld alone"

Hello; Poe

-X-X-X-X-

_From: Lelouch_

_To: Suzaku_

_Subject: I'm Sorry._

_Suzaku,_

_I'm certain by now the news has reached you and I know what the others are saying. I'm sorry, but it's true. It was a stupid decision. I know you're thinking that. But you know what my home life is like. You know what that man is like. I couldn't…I'm sorry. But regardless of any evidence that was left behind. Don't believe it._

_You remember when we found that library deep in the Wired? Well, I've been going there a lot. I know. The place has been locked off ever since we first found it, but a hacker friend of mine opened the doors for me. I found something while I was there. It was a detailed record of experiments that have been performed by the government in secret. Experiments involving the Wired. Some people they were experimenting on went into comas and have yet to come out of them. Some people even died._

_Remember that city wide net crash that happened in Shinjuku a few years ago? Every electronic piece of machinery just stopped working? Even vehicles? Well, these records indicate that these experiments were the cause of all that. They covered it all up and blamed it on a group of hackers. It makes me sick how they could do something like that._

_Getting to the point, the people who fell into comas are here in the Wired. Their consciousnesses became trapped here. Some of them don't seem to mind and have even found ways to communicate with the outside world. They create a new identity for themselves and just live a new life that way. A girl taught me how to do that. That's how I can talk to you now._

_I'm in here, Suzaku. I'm not dead. So don't be sad, please. You mean a lot to me, you know. I've always really liked you. I guess it's easier to tell you this way than to your face. I realized it would never work, though. You know how I like to read things a lot. Well, I found a book about the Zodiac a while back. I know it seems silly…but a lot of what it said was true. We really aren't compatible. Besides, you like Shirley don't you? I guess…well…never mind._

_I'm sorry…I don't feel like talking anymore._

-X-X-X-

It didn't matter how many times he read through the e-mail. It didn't matter how many excuses he thought up to justify the e-mail's existence. No matter how many times he tried to tell himself that he was hallucinating, it was real and it shouldn't be.

The e-mail was from his deceased best friend, Lelouch Lamperouge.

It was beyond Suzaku's ability to comprehend because it just _did not_ make sense.

He had attended Lelouch's funeral for God's sake!!

The Britannian's body had been lying in a white casket and he had looked every bit of the beautiful person he had been when alive. His glossy black locks had been just as well-groomed as they had always been and the casual yet dressy outfit he had been placed in didn't have one wrinkle on it.

And those gorgeous liquid gems God had made Lelouch's eyes out of had been closed, those long lashes of his still elegant even in death.

He had appeared to just be sleeping and Suzaku remembered wondering when the boy would wake up.

Even though he knew then that Lelouch never would.

Suzaku let out a shaky sigh and he fumbled with a packet of cigarettes he had lying on his desk. He tried to ignore the tears that welled up in his eyes when he read the words "Stop smoking, idiot." scrawled onto the inner part of the package, written in Lelouch's neat handwriting.

He had only bought this package three days ago.

He stuck a hand into his pocket and pulled out a silver lighter, flicking it on and lighting up the cigarette he had shoved into his mouth. He flicked the lighter closed and dropped it onto his desk audibly. He took a long drag from the cigarette and exhaled, a large puff of smoke flowing past his lips. He slumped in his chair and closed his eyes as he took another long drag.

'_Fucking sick joke._' he found himself thinking, anger swelling inside his chest as tears slid down his cheeks.

Never mind that logic tried to tell him that various information inside the e-mail could not have been public knowledge.

Well, it was mostly just the part about the library.

Technology had advanced to unheard of levels and with that advancement came the creation of the Wired.

The Wired was a communications network that allowed its users to directly interface with data by simply using their own mind. E-mails, phones calls, and a multitude of websites that had switched over to the Wired's Visual Communication Server (VCS) were able to be accessed with just a simple thought. Special devices called "Layers"--which were basically head mounted display visors--were how people were allowed to do this. There was once a time when users had to use bulky helmets that had an ungodly amount of wires attached to them, but thankfully, such devices were now obsolete and had been replaced by better and much more efficient devices. There were even rumors spreading throughout the net that the company who created the Wired were in development of tiny computer chips that, with minor surgery, could be placed inside the human brain and would make the old Layer obsolete.

It sounded amazing, but Suzaku couldn't help but think that science had gone too far. Were such devices really necessary? Weren't the current Layers enough?

Another puff of smoke flowed out of his mouth as he sighed again.

Back to the matter at hand, who sent this e-mail? It disturbed him in more ways than one.

For one thing, how did they manage to get Lelouch's private e-mail address? Lelouch had more than one. One he used for everyday use and one he used for private use. The teen was quite the little hacker…or at least, he used to be…and he made damn sure that his private e-mail was near impossible to hack into. It was protected by a string of complicated passwords and there were even a few deadly viruses artistically encoded into the firewalls surrounding it. Suzaku had always thought it rather silly to have so much protection over something like that, but this was Lelouch after all. Lelouch wasn't one to do things halfassed, if he could help it.

Besides that, no one really knew about the e-mail address. The "Guinevere" name had actually been an inside joke between the two of them and Lelouch had only used it out of spite, but his little plan had backfired when the name "Lancelot" became Suzaku's new e-mail address. Lelouch only ever used that e-mail address with him or his sister who lived overseas. There may have been others he used it with, but Suzaku doubted that the number of people had been high. Maybe five at the most.

But besides the e-mail, something else bothered Suzaku.

The way the e-mail was written.

It was so much like Lelouch that Suzaku swore he could hear the lithe male's voice actually saying the words. It sent a cold chill down his spine and made him feel uneasy.

But receiving letters from the dead had that effect on people, didn't they.

Suzaku opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't bring himself to look back at the message. It would only make his uneasiness grow.

Taking another drag from his cigarette, he glanced back at the screen and was careful to avoid looking at the message again as he clicked the Reply button.

He stared at the blank white space for few minutes, watching the text line blink again and again.

Then his fingers began to glide over the keys, typing out a short message:

_From: Suzaku_

_To: Lelouch_

_Subject: Re: I'm Sorry_

_Who are you and where did you get this address from? You say you're Lelouch, but why should I believe you? He _died_. I went to the funeral myself. You should know, this is a very sick joke and I suggest that you stop immediately or I _will_ find you._

That said, Suzaku angrily hit the Send button and flicked his computer off.

He felt the need to smoke another cigarette before going to bed.

And the next day, he felt the need to smoke through the rest of the package when he opened his e-mail and discovered a reply.

_From: Lelouch_

_To: Suzaku_

_Subject: Idiot_

_Maybe I _want _you to find me, idiot Suzaku. You always were dense. I'm almost ashamed to be eloping with the mighty Sir Lancelot, the White Knight. I'm demanding you return me to His Majesty at once!_

_By the way, I meant to ask before, who is taking care of Arthur now? He hasn't run away, has he? That cat can be such trouble sometimes._

Suzaku couldn't even finish reading the message due to the tears blurring his vision.

-X-X-X-X-

Serena: Well, what do you think? XD It was weird, wasn't it? Now, I'm fully satisfied with ending the story like this (sort of), **but if you guys want me to, I'll continue writing more for it. But no more than two chapters.** So, if you want me to, you'll have to tell me alright? :3 Anyway, thank you very much for reading and I'd love a review from anyone who can spare the time to write one! :D


	2. Murder?

Serena: O.O [falls out of chair] 24 reviews?! S-Seriously?! Jeez, I wasn't expecting such a large response! The first part wasn't even that long! [doesn't know what to say to that] Wow…I guess I have good ideas sometimes. xD Well, since you guys want me to, I'll continue with this story. :D [is still surprised by the review count] Just wow…

Warnings:AU. SuzaLulu. A continuation of my "Nightmare" self challenge. Curse words are used. Very vague hints at child abuse and drug use. **If you think the rating is too low, please tell me. This chapter has me thinking I need to raise the rating, but I want to know what you all think.**

I would like to thank the following people for reviewing: Tainted Ink And Paper, Cool Moon, EdoLover, Jesi -the immortal warecat-, Patet, The Solar Being, LookingForMeaning, Star Jinin, 2stupid, Crispy Rice, nachan, random person, Wynster McG, Asami-chan37, Arkaham, Spiritshipper-SuzaEuphy09, Nobody of Importance, MiniMinx, Pandora-Remix, Midoribon, Sparxyu, Syaoran's Sakura, shiai10, and lilyrose225!

Special thanks go to Wynster McG for all the wonderful scientific information! It was amazingly useful. x3

Summary: Suzaku's best friend, Lelouch Lamperouge, overdosed on a bottle of sleeping pills and died. The day after the funeral, he sent Suzaku an e-mail. // Suzaku wasn't sure how the man had done it, but Charles _murdered_ Lelouch.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. Story and story title inspired by the song Hello by Poe and by Serial Experiments Lain. Also, credit goes to The Solar Being for giving me the idea for the Zodiac part…which didn't turn out that great.

-X-X-X-X-  
Title: Disconnected Modem

Transmission 2: Murder?

By: Serena the Hikari of Love  
-X-X-X-X-

Suzaku's fingers furiously fiddled with the packet of cigarette resting in his jacket pocket. His nerves were on high and the sinking feeling of dread made his insides flutter with nausea.

Dear God, he needed a cigarette right now.

But he couldn't do that. No, no. The _bastard_ he was meeting wouldn't like that at all.

Although, he was tempted to smoke one anyway if for no other reason than to piss the man off.

He forced his hand to leave his pocket and he inhaled the cold air deeply before exhaling in a rather long sigh.

'_I'm just here to get Arthur._' he reminded himself, thinking back to the e-mail he had received. '_Remember: minimal talking and _absolutely _no accusations._'

Regardless of whether the e-mail he had received was from Lelouch or not, he couldn't deny that Lelouch would _not_ have wanted the feline to be left alone with _that man_.

Up until his sudden death, Lelouch had lived with his father and a sweet little feline he had rescued from the streets. Lelouch did have a mother and a younger sister, but they lived overseas in Ireland. The teenager's mother and sister were two truly kind and loving individuals, but the father was a _horrible_ man. He…did things. _Illegal_ things.

Some of those things had involved Lelouch.

Marianne, Lelouch's mother, went through a bitter divorce with the father, Charles. Marianne suffered through a long custody battle. At the end of it, she was able to save Nunnally, the sister, but was unable to rescue Lelouch from Charles' grip. She tried again and again, but nothing she did worked. Lelouch eventually convinced her that he would be okay and that she should take Nunnally and move far away. He also said that he would join her and Nunnally one day, leaving the life with his father behind.

Lelouch had actually been planning on sneaking away by the end of the week.

Suzaku's eye narrowed in a hate-filled glare that pierced the thick red wood of the door before him.

"_I'm going to do it, Suzaku. I'm going to run away. I won't let him hurt me anymore."_

And now his best friend was dead. Was it just a coincidence?

'_What if he found out?_' Suzaku couldn't help but wonder.

It was a possibility and Suzaku wouldn't put it past Charles to try hurting Lelouch like that.

Suzaku could not honestly say that he had ever truly hated someone before…but _this_ man…_this_ man, he hated. He loathed him with an intensity that burned hotter than the white hot agony of a thousand suns.

His fingers twitched.

It was getting harder to fight back the nicotine cravings.

'_What the hell is taking him so long?!_' he complained, a scowl on his face. '_It's not like he's actually i_n mourning_, fucking murderer._'

Murderer.

It wasn't proven. It would probably _never_ be proven, but Suzaku knew better. He refused to believe what the coroner had definitively ruled.

Suicide.

It did not matter to him that Lelouch's tox screens had turned up positive for the multiple sleeping pills he had ingested. It did not matter to him that a thorough--not thorough enough in his opinion--examination had been done, revealing no signs of struggle, no bruises, or anything of the like. It did not matter to him that every piece of evidence pointed to Lelouch's death being a suicide. Screw what the evidence and that e-mail had said. He _knew_ Lelouch. Lelouch would _never_ go through with something like that.

Suzaku wasn't sure how the man had done it, but Charles _murdered_ Lelouch.

He _murdered_ Suzaku's best friend.

Honestly, Suzaku wouldn't be surprised if the bastard had shoved the pills down Lelouch's throat himself. He had money--dirty money. He could have paid the right people off and saved his own sorry hide.

'_Why kill him? He wasn't hurting anyone._'

Damn. His eyes were watering up again. He couldn't face that man with watery eyes.

He furiously swiped at his eyes to remove any traces of tears while trying to push back his depressing thoughts.

Screw it. He _needed_ a cigarette to calm his nerves. If the old man got fussy about it, then he could finally tell the bastard to go to hell.

Win-Win.

He stuck his hand into his jacket pocket and extracted his packet of cigarettes and his lighter. He pulled one cancerous stick out of the package and stuck it into his mouth before dropping the packet back into his pocket. He flicked open the lighter and held it up to the stick, ready to light it up.

The door opened the moment the reddish-orange flame appeared.

Suzaku froze, the lighter still held up to his cigarette as his eyes traveled up to a tall man with piercing violet eyes. The man had long chestnut-colored hair and he wore a plain white long-sleeved turtleneck with blue jeans. Looking at the man, it was very easy to see where Lelouch got his good looks from, but it failed to explain how someone so mean could raise someone so sweet.

Suzaku sometimes pretended that Lelouch was adopted. It made more sense that way.

Highly aware of the menacing glare he was receiving, Suzaku did what any sensible person that respected his elders would do. He calmly and rather slowly finished lighting his cigarette before placing the lighter back into his pocket and then he took a longer-than-necessary drag off the nicotine-filled item before blowing a rich puff of smoke right into the elder man's face.

"Charles." he greeted, waving slightly with the hand that held his cigarette.

Alright, maybe that _wasn't_ what a sensible person who respected his elders would do. Don't get him wrong. Suzaku respected his elders--some of them--, but Charles did not fall under the category of "People Suzaku Kururugi Respected".

No. Instead of the proper treatment, Charles got a puff of smoke in his face.

Suzaku coughed.

Make that two.

"Kururugi." Charles stated, clearly unhappy with this sudden visitor. "What do you want?"

"Arthur." Suzaku stated, tapping the burnt material off the cigarette's end. "I want him."

Charles snorted.

"What makes you think I'll just hand him over to you?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

The action reminded Suzaku a bit too much of Lelouch.

So he blew another puff of smoke into the old man's face.

Elegant actions such as that were reserved for people who weren't murderers. Suzaku couldn't hit him without getting arrested, but he could sure as hell give him lung cancer through secondhand smoke.

"What makes me think you even want him?" Suzaku countered, his neutral expression slowly dissolving into a grimace.

Even before Suzaku learned of all the cruel things the man had put Lelouch through, he was never able to get along with the elder man. There had just been something about him that Suzaku had not liked. He knew what that was now.

It was pure undiluted evil, rolling off the man in continuous waves.

'_I should have pulled Lelouch away from you years ago._' he thought, his eyes narrowing.

The truth was that Suzaku had tried so very very hard to talk Lelouch into running away, but the younger had refused. The reason why was unclear to him even now and with Lelouch gone, he would never know.

"I don't." Charles answered, leaning against the doorframe. "But it _is_ my only son's dearest pet, after all. It would be wrong to push him off onto such an undeserving child."

'_Undeserving? Is he _still_ on that?_' Suzaku mused, his eyes narrowing further. '_Oh, Charles. You sick little pervert._'

It was no secret that Charles held an extreme dislike for Suzaku. One reason being that Suzaku had gained Lelouch's friendship and loyalty.

Charles didn't like that. He didn't like that someone had stolen Lelouch's attention.

And Suzaku just couldn't resist the temptation of calling him out on it.

"Jealous because he liked me more than you?" he asked, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face at the elder's silted eyes. "You'll have to forgive my natural charm. It attracts all sorts of people."

He was really hoping to piss Charles off and he succeeded.

"Fine. You want the damn cat, take him! He's just as worthless as his owner was!" Charles stated.

Rage swelled up inside of Suzaku's chest and he had a hard time not incapacitating the man in front if him.

"How _dare_ you speak ill of him." he seethed, his fingers crushing the cigarette as they curled up into a fist. "You have a _lot_ of nerve."

"He was _my_ son. I'll say _whatever_ I want about him." Charles stated, a smirk of his own appearing due to Suzaku's reaction. "I will say this about my late son."

Charles leaned down to draw closer to Suzaku.

"He had the tightest little ass I've _ever_ had the privilege to admir--"

CRACK.

As Suzaku left the residence with Arthur in tow, he realized he couldn't remember ever hitting Charles, but _damn_. He felt good for some reason despite a throbbing pain in his right hand.

-X-X-X-

"Here you go, Arthur." Suzaku said to the feline. "Tuna. Your favorite."

Arthur mewled appreciatively and began to nibble on the meal presented to him.

Suzaku smiled slightly before seating himself down in a dining room chair. He grabbed hold of the burning cigarette waiting for him in the table's ashtray.

"Lelouch always complained about you being spoiled, but in the end, he always gave you what you wanted regardless." Suzaku mused as he brought the cigarette to his lips. "He would have made a great dad."

"Would have" being the keywords in that sentence. But then, Suzaku didn't need to be reminded about that. It was just that seeing Lelouch's father again had-

"Shit." Suzaku cursed, a finger moving to rub at his temple. "I really hit him, didn't I?"

He had tried his hardest to restrain himself, but when the bastard started talking about Lelouch's--he just lost it. He totally lost it and punched the old geezer right in his perverted face. The force of the blow and had caused Charles's head to smash against the edge of the door frame.

Suzaku couldn't be sure, but something resembling blood had been smeared across that door frame.

He sighed and took a short drag from his cigarette before laying his head down in his arms.

"I'm screwed, aren't I?"

He heard Arthur mewl, as if to say "Yes. You're screwed.".

That cat was as much of a smartass as his previous owner had been.

"Thank you for your input." Suzaku muttered in reply, patting his cigarette out in the ashtray before standing.

Arthur glanced up at him briefly and mewled before diving right back into his meal.

"Make yourself at home." Suzaku said as he made his way towards his computer. "I'll be over here. Checking my e-mail."

Arthur didn't answer him this time, but that was reasonable as he was too busy with his meal and the statement hadn't been that important to begin with.

It was sort of nice having Arthur around. His apartment didn't seem that lonely with him there.

Suzaku lived in a small apartment on the upper side of Shinjuku. He had no real family to speak of. His mother had died when he was younger and his father had died a few years ago from heart failure. He had no siblings and any other relatives he may of had either didn't even know he existed or they didn't care. It didn't bother him one way or the other. He would rather be alone.

But even those who like solitude tire of it after a while, don't they?

Of course, he had not felt lonely the past few weeks thanks to Lelouch. Lelouch had been staying with him a lot. Anytime the teen could sneak away from his father, he would come to Suzaku. It sort of made him happy that Lelouch would come to him out of all the other people he could have gone to.

There was Milly Ashford. She was quite attractive and mature for her age. At times, she could seem like a witch, but she was really kind-hearted underneath all the layers of bossiness. She acted as somewhat of a big sister to Lelouch.

Then there was Kallen. She was quite attractive as well. Fiery red hair with a matching attitude made her seem unapproachable most days. But just like Milly, she had her soft side. She seemed to have taken quite a liking to Lelouch as her attitude with him had always been much different.

Then there was Jeremiah. He was actually Marianne's cousin. Jeremiah held a deep love for Marianne and he watched over Nunnally and Lelouch as if they were his own. He lived nearby and had told Lelouch countless times that if he ever felt threatened by Charles or just wanted to move out from under the man's watchful gaze, he could come and stay with him and would not have to worry about anything.

And Jeremiah was the type of person you could hold to their word.

But Lelouch politely refused. Each and every time.

Why? Suzaku didn't know. Perhaps it was pride that forced Lelouch to stay or perhaps he was worried that Charles would hurt someone he cared about if he just disappeared.

Suzaku sighed as he opened up his Inbox.

There was nothing new.

He just sent a reply that morning…but he was probably being overeager. It wasn't like this mystery e-mailer was actually Lelouch.

'_But it sounds so much like him. And whoever is sending them knows things that only Lelouch and I know about._' he mused, staring at the screen. '_Maybe it is…_'

Suzaku fisted his fingers in his hair and sighed wearily.

He would be honest with himself. He _wanted_ the e-mailer to be Lelouch. He _wanted_ his friend to still be alive in some way. He _wanted_…he just _wanted_!!

'_I have no proof either way, though._'

It was true. Suzaku didn't have any evidence of any kind that could prove _anything_. If it _was_ Lelouch communicating with him, he could not prove it. If it was not Lelouch, he _still_ could not prove it.

"_Why_ do things have to be so difficult?" he mumbled.

"Meow!"

Suzaku blinked and was slightly startled when he discovered Arthur sitting beside the keyboard.

Arthur mewled again and took the opportunity to jump into Suzaku's lap.

"Meow~" Arthur purred, nuzzling the other affectionately.

Suzaku blinked again.

"What…you aren't going to bite me?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

Arthur mewled again and just continued to purr.

Well, apparently, Arthur had no intention of physically harming him today. Strange, but not unwelcome.

"I've been receiving e-mails that are claiming to be from Lelouch." Suzaku said, a hand moving to pet the feline. "The way they are written…they sound just like him and there are things mentioned in the e-mails that only he and I know about."

Suzaku sighed.

"What do you think, Arthur?" he asked, glancing down at the feline. "Do you think they could be from him? Even though he's…"

He trailed off. Why repeat it? It was bad enough that it was on constant repeat inside of his mind.

Arthur just looked up at him and tilted his head.

He mewled.

-X-X-X-X-

Serena: Remember when I said there would only be two more chapters? Well, apparently that isn't happening. XD Apparently, there is going to be more than two. [sighs] I was seriously going to make this longer and this story was seriously only going to have two more chapters, but when I got to the end of this, I realized that it wouldn't be right to continue past Arthur's mewl. [flails] Argh!! Brain, why?! Dx Why do you do these things to me?! …oh…because you can?…meanie.

**Next chapter comes the elaboration of Lelouch supposed suicide. That's right. That means Suzaku is paying the coroner a little visit. Ah, and Suzaku takes a trip into the Wired after receiving another e-mail from Lelouch. But is it Lelouch? **(I'm pretty sure that has already been established, but MEH!!)

By the way, who else thinks Arthur knows the truth? :D Oh, if that cat could talk…

**Also, please take a look at Tainted Ink And Paper and I's ZeroLulu/SuzaLulu Thread!! Link is on my profile. ;D**


	3. Set It To Synch

Serena: For repeat readers, has anyone ever noticed that my writing style varies from story to story? Hmm. Maybe it's just me. I think the reason might be the tone of the stories though…maybe. I don't know. I'm just musing out loud. And jeez. 17 reviews in the span of barely two days? O.o

Warnings: AU. SuzaLulu. A continuation of my "Nightmare" self challenge. Curse words are used. Very vague hints at child abuse and drug use. **If you think the rating is too low, please tell me. Apparently, it's just fine because I have received nothing indicating otherwise…but my insecurity about it still exists.**

I would like to thank the following people for reviewing: Tainted Ink And Paper, Wynster McG, Patet, LookingForMeaning, Crispy Rice, Midoribon, Lilyflower1987, Sparxyu, Cheza the Flower Maiden, teno-hikari, Asami-chan37, Spiritshipper-SuzaEuphy09, Cool Moon, Star Jinin, 2stupid, NeverEverStar, Syaoran's Sakura!

Special thanks go to Wynster McG for all the wonderful scientific information! It was amazingly useful. x3

Summary: Suzaku's best friend, Lelouch Lamperouge, overdosed on a bottle of sleeping pills and died. The day after the funeral, he sent Suzaku an e-mail. // "If it is any consolation, I can assure you that he did not suffer."

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. Story and story title inspired by the song Hello by Poe and by Serial Experiments Lain. Also, credit goes to The Solar Being for giving me the idea for the Zodiac part…which didn't turn out that great. The mythology and drug parts were retrieved from Wikipedia.

-X-X-X-X-  
Title: Disconnected Modem

Transmission 3: Set It To Synch

By: Serena the Hikari of Love  
-X-X-X-X-

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot release that information."

Suzaku suppressed a sigh at the answer and his fingers curled around his cigarette packet automatically.

It was a bad habit of his to constantly have his hand near the cancerous sticks when he was upset. It wasn't that he _meant_ to, it was just that he could not help it. He had long ago realized his addiction to nicotine, but had done nothing to prevent or stop it. It was his own fault, really. Suzaku had first been introduced to the joys of nicotine addiction when he was only 18 years old.

The legal age to smoke here in Japan was 20. Needless to say that he had snuck quite a few in his younger years--his uncle did so wonder where all his cigarettes kept disappearing to. But when Suzaku turned 20, the first thing he did was buy a packet of cigarettes and smoked the whole thing in a span of two hours.

He learned to buy them in bulk after that little incident.

Now here he was. A damn near chain smoker at the age of 22. It was a small blessing that he had not developed a "smoker's cough" yet. But he knew it was only a matter of time. Lelouch had always nagged at him to quit, but of course Suzaku could not just drop the cigarettes and never pick them up again.

He tried that once and lasted all of ten minutes.

Back to the matter at hand, he forced his hand to release the cigarettes and removed his hand from his pocket with great difficulty.

"Are you certain that I cannot look at them?" he asked yet again.

He was desperate for any information he could get concerning Lelouch's death and who better to get that information from than the man who did the autopsy?

Suzaku shuddered at the thought. He did not like the idea of his Lelouch being cut up, dead or otherwise.

And yes. Lelouch was _his_ in terms of friendship and things. But that was just an excuse he made up.

The man sitting at the messy mahogany desk that was littered with papers of all sizes leaned back in his chair and regarded Suzaku with something akin to curiosity. Suzaku could not be entirely sure about that, though. The man was…rather odd and in the short time he had known the man, crypt with his words.

That knowing smile did nothing except creep him out.

"Yes. I am _very_ sure." he repeated. "But what I cannot seem to figure out is _why_ you want to know. You said yourself that you aren't related to him in any way."

The words sounded like a lie. The way the blue-haired man enunciated his words left Suzaku with the impression that he knew _exactly_ why he wanted Lelouch's autopsy report.

That unnerved him. Could it mean that this Lloyd had suspicions of his own about Lelouch's death that had nothing to do with suicide? If so, why rule his death a suicide?

Maybe he was thinking about it too much. He had certainly had his hopes up and now they had been utterly destroyed.

It wasn't that he _wanted_ Lelouch's death to be murder…he just…he needed closure. That was all, he supposed.

"I'm just a very close friend of his." Suzaku responded, eyes closing and head bowing. "And…I just need closure about it. Or else, I don't think I can…"

He trailed off. He suddenly felt unbelievably exhausted and couldn't find it in him to finish his sentence.

Lloyd stared at him for a long moment. God only knows what thoughts were running through his head, but eventually, he just started talking.

And that surprised Suzaku, head snapping up and eyes-wide.

He listened to every word Lloyd said. It was a bunch of implied cryptic nonsense, but Suzaku discovered he understood what Lloyd was getting at.

At least, he hoped he did.

From what he gathered, Lloyd had found an abnormally large amount of benzodiazepine--a sedative used to induce sleep as well as a muscle relaxant--within Lelouch's system, but considering the amount of pills the teen had ingested, that was normal.

Lloyd made an odd little comment that Lelouch had been rather drowsy during the time he had taken the excess amount of pills. How Lloyd knew this, he wouldn't say. He simply said that he found it odd for someone already in a drowsy state to take more of the drug when they clearly did not need any.

Suzaku wasn't quite sure what to think about that. Really, it could mean many different things, but two possibilities stuck in his mind.

The first was that Lelouch had developed a sort of addition to the drug and had taken too much by accident. He could have possibly already taken some before hand and then took the amount that killed him by accident--Suzaku would like to think it was an accident anyway.

The second possibility sent a swirling mixture of emotions through his heart.

That Charles really _had_ killed him…using Lelouch's own prescribed medicine.

Suzaku was aware of Lelouch's sleeping pills. The teen had always had trouble sleeping and had gotten pills to help him rest.

Lelouch had rarely used them those times he had stayed with him, though.

At home, it was different. Lelouch had expressed a fear of sleeping in that house. The sleeping pills had been for those times when he had either desperately needed sleep or just wanted to forget he was sleeping in the same house as his father.

Suzaku could hardly call the man a father. Not after all the things he had put Lelouch through. He was more like a devil who enjoyed torturing innocent individuals for the sheer pleasure of it.

It all boiled down to plain child abuse. Despite not being Japanese himself, as long as he lived in this country, he was bound by the law. Lelouch could not legally live in his own place. He was still underage in the eyes of the law, but the law seemed just a tad too corrupt for Suzaku's liking.

After all, they had ignored the countless abuse Lelouch had suffered through. Suzaku had really been Lelouch's only safe haven--the only one he trusted--because the brunet had _never_ allowed the other man to touch him while Lelouch was in his sight. He had protected Lelouch as much as he could, but it hadn't been enough. If it had, Lelouch wouldn't be dead right now.

This brought Suzaku back to his original thought. The sleeping pills. Charles could have put them in something while Lelouch wasn't looking, therefore, sedating him enough to where he wouldn't put up much of a fight.

Perhaps Charles really _had_ shoved the pills down Lelouch's throat, but did so in a way that would not cause any bruising. He could have forced Lelouch to shallow them. Perhaps he poured water down his throat and Lelouch's first reaction had been to shallow.

But then why would that e-mail admit to suicide when it wasn't?

Unless Lelouch had not been coherent enough at the time of his death to even realize that _his father_ had killed him.

Lloyd _did_ say that Charles's fingerprints had been found on the bottle, but there had been multiple fingerprints on that bottle. Lelouch's and the pharmacy workers'…it could not be used as proper evidence.

It was all just speculation though. Lloyd did not flat out say that that was what he meant. He had simply said it was odd.

Other than that piece of information, there was nothing that Suzaku did not already know and he sighed in resignation at that. It wasn't really closure and he knew that. He felt no acceptance in his heart to his friend's death as of yet.

He just felt so tired by it all now.

"That is really all I can offer in terms to the report and I should not have even discussed any of it with you."

"Then why?"

An unreadable smile flitted across the coroner's face.

"Let's just say that I know the feeling."

And that was all he said.

But as Suzaku eventually turned and began to walk away, Lloyd called out to him.

"If it is any consolation, I can assure you that he did not suffer. Sleeping pill-related deaths are normally quite peaceful. He would have been asleep when he finally passed on and would not have felt a thing."

Suzaku did not turn back around. He just kept walking after that, but he had to admit, the knowledge had relinquished a fear he had been pondering over lately. He was grateful, if the tears were any indication.

And Lloyd only sent Suzaku's retreating figure a slight smile before returning to his work.

He needed no thanks. He understood and that was enough.

-X-X-X-

Synchronization with the Wired had never been one of Suzaku's more pleasant experiences. It was so invasive. He felt as if the net itself was trying to hack into his brain.

It didn't help that--in a sense--that was exactly what was happening.

In order for a user to properly interface with the Wired, it was necessary that the user synchronize with it almost entirely. Total integration into the system was currently unheard off, but there were rumors circulating the net that not only was it possible, but it had happened before.

And the users that had achieved this had supposedly fallen into comas.

Many of the stories were similar. A friend suddenly fell unconscious while integrated into the Wired or a family member was found sprawled across the floor or even some claiming to have fallen into a coma themselves, but had somehow come out of it. Each story varied from person to person and Suzaku held the suspicion that most--if not all--were fabricated. Regardless, he had to admit that the mere thought of it was…unnerving, to say the least.

The world of the Wired was pretty amazing and it sort of reminded him of a video game at times. Artistically designed cities and landscapes with equally unique names created a pleasant atmosphere for all its inhabitants. It had everything from chirping birds to flowing rivers and from cafés to chatroom areas. It was truly a wonder, but it could be quite a scary place when it wanted to be.

Like all electronic devices, it had its share of viruses.

It was becoming more and more common place to see fragments of corrupted data walking the streets. You couldn't tell at first, but if you studied them closely, you would be able to distinguish them from others. Many shared similar characteristics. Most had places on their bodies that were missing or chipped off. Some simply had their bodies scratching constantly in places, almost like they were trying to disappear. Some of the worst data corruption did not have a recognizable human form at all, but were sculpted into odd shapes--resembling letters, musical notes, strange doodles, and many other things.

It was unknown exactly how these "data bugs" were created. Essentially, they were just viruses. But some called them "imprint memories" due to the similarities a lot of them had with other users. Their reasoning was that during the course of logging out, the users had left a piece of themselves behind or, rather, an undeleted file of their day's events. And some simply believed that hackers were the cause.

Suzaku wasn't quite sure what to think about it himself. If he had to pick a theory, however, he would have to go with the "imprint memory" one. It made sense to him to think of the "data bugs" as the Wired's ghosts. Because in real life, that was what they would be called, correct?

Or…perhaps they should be called demons.

Because their actions could be quite demonic at times.

Just last month, a so called "harmless data bug" had destroyed an entire city just by simply walking through it.

They named her _Lamia_.

It was a Latin word that had multiple yet very similar meanings. Basically, they named the virus a blood-thirsty monster, which wasn't far from the truth. She had certainly made quite a show out of turning the once pristine buildings of the Wired's most cherished city, Ragnarök--a name that, as Lelouch had pointed out once, was rather ironic--,into rusty wires with chipping fragments of a color very much resembling blood and of frightening the users into logging off.

Some of them had not been able to log off, however, and it was still a mystery as to what had become of those users. The company claimed that they had been safely logged out, but rumors to the contrary just _loved_ to spread, didn't they?

Suzaku sighed as he readjusted the Layer over his eyes, making sure that the visor was set properly. Afterwards, he slipped the silver-colored "Sensors" onto his hands and double-checked to make sure he had fastened them properly.

In a nut shell, the "Sensors" were simply gloves configured with various wires and chips designed to allow the user full range of motion. It was simpler and much less annoying than having to think about doing it all the time.

Both the Layer and the Sensors had no wires spilling out of them. They were completely wireless and made moving around much easier. It wasn't necessary for the user to physically walk as all it required was a simple thought in the system, but some found that extremely tedious and simply teleported to their next destination. But there were others still who simply preferred to walk. Suzaku was one of them.

After checking over everything one last time, he paused and sat there hesitantly.

Normally, it wasn't like him to double-check things so much. If it was alright once, then it would be fine that second or third time. But he felt uncharacteristically nervous about diving into the Wired today.

He felt like something was amiss. Like something would go wrong when he entered today.

He wasn't one to ignore feelings like that. Many times there were good reasons for such a feeling that had nothing to do with paranoia.

But despite his nervousness, he knew he just _had_ to go in.

Because two days after he had rescued Arthur, he received another e-mail from "Lelouch".

The e-mail had been anything but calm and that made Suzaku worry.

He had had a lot of time to think since he refused to leave his apartment until he was _certain_ that he would not be arrested.

Never mind that if Charles wanted him arrested, it would have already happened by now--and that thought made him think that Charles had something else in mind for him.

He read and reread the two e-mails he had received and he thought and thought--an action he _was_ capable of despite Lelouch's claims. And during all this thinking, he had decided on a stance with the e-mails. He decided that he would give the person the benefit of the doubt, but would be careful about what he agreed with/said to him.

Because he still had no proof either way, after all.

This new e-mail he had received only accentuated the thought that it was indeed Lelouch. Because why would a complete stranger who was trying to screw with his head care what happened to him? To keep up appearances and maintain this Lelouch façade? That seemed a little too complex and tedious for a hacker to attempt doing.

Unless it was someone with a grudge against him.

But other than Charles, Suzaku could think of no one. But there was a thought there, hunh.

What if Charles was the one sending these e-mails?

Suzaku remained motionless for a moment before he shook his head, disagreeing with the sudden thought.

He _really_ did not want to even _consider_ that possibility.

But it _was_ possible and Suzaku was loathe to admit that.

One more reason to hit him again if it turned out to be true, though.

Suzaku's gloved fingers drummed against his desk incessantly. He felt the need to smoke--just one to calm his nerves--and his idle hand automatically traveled to the cigarette packet waiting for him on his desk. Just as his fingers brushed against the plastic, he felt a sharp nip at his wrist and his hand instantly retracted to his chest protectively, his gaze locked onto the perpetrator's diamond eyes.

"Arthur!!" Suzaku scolded, sending a small glare that the tinted lens of the visor caused to be nearly unseen.

Arthur simply flicked his tail and mewled in a firm tone.

Alright, he got the message. Arthur didn't want him smoking.

"You didn't have to bite me." he muttered, turning back towards the computer screen.

Arthur mewled again.

Suzaku sighed.

"Fine! I won't smoke!!" he consented, earning a pleased mewl from Arthur. "I swear to God, Arthur, if you were a human, you would be just like Lelouch."

He tried not to let it bother him that he was comparing Arthur to Lelouch. For all their supposed similarities, they were not even remotely alike. For one thing, Lelouch never bit him when he went for his cigarettes--he _did_ snatch them up and keep them as far away as possible, though. Second, Lelouch neither had fur, cat ears, nor a long tail.

Suzaku had to admit that the image was adorable, though. Midnight black fur coating a long luxurious tail and soft cat ears sprouting from atop that silky head. For some reason, Suzaku could only picture him wearing an oversized shirt that just barely brushed his milky thighs, wearing a curious expression that only a cat could give. Suzaku could not imagine him actually mewling--as Lelouch would have been completely against the whole kitty idea from the start--, but that would have been a cute overdose.

Although, death by cuteness sounded much nicer than death by pills.

Suzaku shook his head slightly.

What was he thinking? Such thoughts about his friend. Milky thighs? Silky hair? He sounded like a girl with a crush, but he preferred to think that he was just observant.

Never mind that he only seemed to be observant when it involved Lelouch.

It wasn't like he had looked while Lelouch just so happened to be _undressing_…in _his apartment_…barely three meters away from _his_ _bed_…creamy skin illuminated by the soft glow of the moonlight that shone through the window's blinds, perfectly accentuating every beautiful curve and-

Well, alright. Maybe he _had_ looked just a little, but it certainly hadn't been on purpose. He just _happened _to walk in on him and he just _happened_ to be ensnared by the soft glow of Lelouch's skin that that damn moonlight had traced out and-

Damn. He was beginning to sound like some gushy romance novel--not that he read those. It was just an observation on his own mind, but-

He just missed Lelouch. That was the only reason he could think of for his sudden silly infatuation--not that he was going to call it that. He was just a very good friend to Lelouch.

'_But if Lelouch is sending these e-mails…_'

Then he had basically been confessed to, correct? That would mean that Lelouch liked him. A _lot_.

Strangely or perhaps not, Suzaku found that he was not opposed to the idea at all.

-X-X-X-

It had been a relatively simple task of integrating with the Wired--a fact that made Suzaku's nervousness increase for some reason. He was still convinced that something bad was going to happen, but as to what it could be, he had no clue. Lelouch's e-mail had initiated the nervous feeling and Suzaku's own thoughts had just made it worse.

He thought back to the e-mail, remembering the warning it had given him.

_From: Lelouch_

_To: Suzaku_

_Subject: I was wrong._

_I want to see you…but I was wrong. Stay out of the Wired, Suzaku. For you own sake. Don't you dare enter here!!_

It wasn't so much the warning as the shortness of the e-mail itself. Lelouch liked to talk out his reasons for doing things; however, if he could explain it in a few words, he would and would consider further elaboration a waste of air.

This e-mail did not tell Suzaku anything. There was no explanation, just a warning with no foundation. It wasn't like Lelouch to not give some form of explanation--unless he considered "I was wrong." an explanation and Suzaku doubted that that was the case. Perhaps Lelouch had had a reason for not explaining or perhaps he _couldn't_.

But that just made Suzaku worry for Lelouch's safety. So he tried not to travel down that road of thought.

He did anyway.

And he found himself wishing he had a cigarette.

It was rather unnerving, walking down the streets alone. The server was strangely empty today and it was _never_ this empty even during such a late hour--and not _this_ city. Yggdrasil, the name of this cryptic city of technology, had replaced Ragnarök as the Wired's capital. It was always bustling with life, the clock's gears always turning atop the ancient tree in the city's center. The very word Yggdrasil referred to the World Tree or Tree of Life. So seeing this emptiness now just…made the city seem dead.

And that was contradictory to its name, another irony that Lelouch would have pointed out had he been there.

It made Suzaku think back to the first irony Lelouch had pointed out and wonder if Yggdrasil would suffer a similar fate as Ragnarök.

Either way, it certainly made him feel less certain about being there.

There wasn't a hint of movement other than his own shadow following him and the only sound that reached his ears was the sound of his own footsteps against the wooden ground beneath him.

He couldn't even hear the gears of the clock turning and it was a sound that could be heard throughout the city along with the background music.

There was no background music playing.

Suzaku stopped, suddenly realizing that he had no idea as to where he was going. His head lowered and his emerald hues gazed down at his shadow uncertainly.

'_Maybe this was a bad idea. I don't have any leads, after all. Plus…no one is here. It's never this quiet and never this empty._'

His hands fisted inside his jacket pockets. He felt so useless and stupid. What was he thinking and hoping to accomplish by coming here? Obviously, he wanted to find Lelouch, but blindly searching through an infinite network of codes and complicated equations was not the right way to do it. He could not possibly hope to find Lelouch this way. Alone. Besides, he could not ask around to see if anyone had seen Lelouch because no one was here.

At least, that was what he had previously thought.

But he was _wrong_.

And the girl behind him wholeheartedly agreed, a vicious smile stretched across her bloodstained face as her violet gaze captured Suzaku's in a horrible stare.

It seemed that Ragnarök's killer wanted to take down Yggdrasil after all.

-X-X-X-X-

Serena: I'm amazing myself at the speed in which I'm completing these chapters, but anyway, I tried to use less dialogue than I normally do in my stories. The previous chapters didn't have _that_ much, but I wanted to see if I could do even less. This fic has me trying out new things. By the way, I heavily researched that Latin word and came up with various definitions that all basically meant the same thing.

I believe that there may possibly be only one more chapter after this. I'm not sure though. I'll have to actually write it out to see, but if my train of thought for this is going where I think it's going, then the next chapter will be the last. Don't forget, though. I'm not that sure about it.

So, anyone enjoy the chapter? :D I had a lot of fun with it, that's for sure. ^^ I enjoy mythology a little too much and the parts about Ragnarök and Yggdrasil gave me a warm feeling. x3 For those wondering, both are Norse beliefs. Ragnarök means "destruction of gods" and refers to the final battle against evil after which a new world will arise (yay, Code Geass!!). As for Yggdrasil, as mentioned in the fic, it refers to the World Tree. The World Tree can be found in many different cultures besides the Norse one. It is supposed to represent the connection between Heaven, Earth, and the Netherworld. It is also tied with the Tree of Life, hence Suzaku's musing that it was an irony. Lelouch's musing that Ragnarök was an irony should be clearly understood once you think about it. :D As mention in the disclaimer, I retrieved the information from Wikipedia, but that was simply to cover my bases. I already knew the information beforehand. ;D

Anyway, enough with my mythology lesson. For as short as this chapter is, it has exhausted me. Can anyone guess who the girl is? I gave a very vague hint. Oh and _someone_ found a trace of C.C. in the first chapter. o.0 You smarty you. How did you guess?! xD

Care to leave me a review? :D


	4. Tap In The Code

Serena: Sorry for taking so long with this. I've had two major tests to deal with within the past two weeks. Last week was an English exam (which I made a B on and am proud of) and this week was an Algebra exam (still waiting for a grade).

Warnings: AU. SuzaLulu. A continuation of my "Nightmare" self challenge. Curse words are used. Very vague hints at child abuse and drug use. **If you think the rating is too low, please tell me. Apparently, it's just fine because I have received nothing indicating otherwise…but my insecurity about it still exists and I'm going to keep bugging you guys about it until someone tells me to stop. XD**

I would like to thank the following people for reviewing: Tainted Ink And Paper, Patet, dhyetaX1999, Wynster McG, Altair718, Diana Prince, Sparxyu, LookingForMeaning, Asami-chan37, Cool Moon, TheLadyPendragon, 2stupid, Lunatari, XwhiteXspiritXalchemistX, nachan, and depewcampbell!

Special thanks go to Wynster McG for all the wonderful scientific information! It was amazingly useful. x3

Summary: Suzaku's best friend, Lelouch Lamperouge, overdosed on a bottle of sleeping pills and died. The day after the funeral, he sent Suzaku an e-mail. // "You're a special kind of stupid, aren't you."

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. Story and story title inspired by the song Hello by Poe and by Serial Experiments Lain. Also, credit goes to The Solar Being for giving me the idea for the Zodiac part…which didn't turn out that great. The mythology and drug parts were retrieved from Wikipedia.

-X-X-X-X-  
Title: Disconnected Modem

Transmission 4: Tap In The Code

By: Serena the Hikari of Love  
-X-X-X-X-

_Lamia_ was not a difficult entity to recognize despite Suzaku himself having never seen her before. He had read through forums and had overheard other users giving their own descriptions of her. Each description varied naturally, but most held similarities; however, these could only be taken with a grain of salt as an actual image of the virus did not exist.

Perhaps that was a good thing.

At first glance, she was quite attractive for a computer program. She certainly could have passed herself off as a regular user if she really wanted to, but that would only work if either one of two things happened:

One, she keep herself at a literal distance from others.

Two, she clean up her appearance.

Her appearance was beyond frightening and would surely scare even the bravest of souls. Suzaku liked the think himself a brave person, but even he wanted to turn coward and run. His legs refused to move, however. They remained rooted to the wooden earth beneath him and his eyes remained trapped in the pools of violet boring a hole into his skull.

Flowing pink tresses fell around the violet-eyed girl's thin frame in a disheveled mess. Her billowing white dress--thoroughly saturated in places by dark crimson--clung to her supple curves like a second skin.

And oh. Her skin.

It was so pale, the color a bleak mixture of grey and peach splattered with varying shades of red. Her whole body was drenched--whether it was with water or otherwise, Suzaku did not want to dwell on. Her wide smile was unnerving--all the more so because her pearly white teeth were stained at their sharp tips with a dark rust color.

She was like a living canvas, a horrific piece of abstract art that had been given a soul for no clear reason.

"Why are you _you_?"

Suzaku flinched at the sudden disturbance of sound. _Lamia's_ voice was soft and carried a melodic ring to it. The sweet sound was a sharp contrast to her appearance and Suzaku felt that she would have been more approachable had she held a demonic voice.

_Lamia_ tilted her head slightly and continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer--at least, Suzaku assumed that was what she was waiting on.

Speaking of her question…what?

"_Why are you _you_?"_

What did she mean by that?

She lifted a hand suddenly and pointed at him, the action vaguely reminding Suzaku of a zombie's movements. The fingers of her hands weren't curled into a fist like one tended to see. They were drooped as if they did not contain any energy to form a fist.

And she still had that wide smile stretched across her face.

She never once blinked.

"Your data names you as Suzaku." she said and her hand turned to point towards her chest. "My data names me as Euphemia. Why are you Suzaku? Why am I me?"

Her hand fell to her side and she straightened from the slouched over position that she had been in, her bones making a sickening cracking sound.

'_Euphemia?_'

Wasn't her name _Lamia_?

"No." she said.

Suzaku never realized he had asked the question out loud.

Or had she read his mind?

Euphemia's wide smile turned downward at the corners and a flash of emotion passed across her glassy eyes. She seemed upset.

"_They_ called my sister that." she continued, her smile fully disappearing. "_They _hurt my sister and made her disappear."

Her sister?

So…did that mean that Euphemia was not responsible for Ragnarök's destruction? It certainly seemed that way. If Euphemia's sister was the one who was given the name _Lamia_, then she was actually the virus that had destroyed the city.

No one had ever mentioned the possibility of a twin virus and by the looks of things, Euphemia was just as dangerous as her sister.

Suzaku noticed the red of her dress beginning to swirl in bizarre patterns.

It started to drip off her dress.

And he still couldn't move.

"You are they." Euphemia said, her smile reappearing.

The droplets of red that had fallen from her dress splattered against the wooden earth and immediately began to eat away at the smooth brown surface like some kind of acidic liquid. It ate a hole through the wood, revealing an endless green sea filled with strings of white numbers and symbols that made up Yggdrasil's code.

The code was the very foundation of the city. It shaped its many structures and gave color to it's trees and waters. Without the code, Yggdrasil could not exist. It would collapse and break down, turning into the corrupted mass of data that Ragnarök had been reduced to.

The acidic substance that dripped from the virus was beginning to eat away at the code. The many streaming symbols and numbers were disappearing as the acid destroyed them. The repercussions of this was immediately beginning to show. Some of Yggdrasil's building were chipping and many of the city's trees were wilting and blackening as the city began to rot from the inside out.

The city of life was decaying and it would never retain it's former glory.

Ragnarök had yet to be fixed, after all. Some believed that it was impossible to restore the city. With such little hope for Ragnarök, would any be given to Yggdrasil?

Euphemia took a step towards him and the ground's corruption spread.

Suzaku did not need any further incentive to run for his life.

After finally remembering how to use his legs, he bolted and ran as fast as he was capable of running. He heard a melodic giggling resound throughout the area and got the feeling that Euphemia was enjoying herself immensely, but he didn't dare look back. If he had of looked back, he would have seen the accelerated rate of Yggdrasil's decay and he would have seen Euphemia skipping after him. But he never looked back. He continued to run far away from the dying city and into the streets of the Wired's connector highways.

The connector highways linked every city and website to one another. There were rumors that data bugs inhabited the highways, snatching up the few users that bothered to walk the highways instead of teleporting. Suzaku had only ever used the highways once.

And that had been with Lelouch.

"_This place is like a ghost town, isn't it?"_

Suzaku felt his heart leap within his chest and he abruptly skid to a halt, momentarily forgetting the demon closing in on him from behind. His eyes dilated and his breath hitched as a head of dark hair turned to stare at him with a pair of dazzling amethyst irises.

The strong sense of déjà vu he was having went ignored for the time being.

"Le-Lelouch?"

"_You're not scared, are you?"_

Lelouch chuckled as he turned away from Suzaku and began to walk away.

Suzaku dashed forward and stretched an arm out to grab Lelouch's shoulder.

He froze when his hand met air.

It had passed through Lelouch's shoulder, causing that section of Lelouch's body to scratch in and out of existence for a moment. It was like Lelouch was a…ghost.

An imprint memory, as they were called here. Just another data bug, but this one was harmless.

In a physical sense, anyway. Emotionally…this one was quite harmful.

When Suzaku thought about it, the ghost's words had been familiar and they had been familiar because Lelouch had said them before. In this very area of the highways.

He already knew what "Lelouch" was going to say next.

"_You don't have to be scared, you know."_ the ghost said, pausing momentarily to turn and send Suzaku a smile.

It was that same little smile that had always given Suzaku a warm feeling inside. That same little smile that had lead Suzaku to protecting the boy in order to make it appear more often. That same little smile that could light up a room in an instant. That same one Lelouch had always given him when he was happy, the one that was always its brightest when directed at him.

But all it did now was fill his heart with sadness.

"_I'm here with you."_

"But you're not." Suzaku whispered, his gaze falling to the concrete earth.

Even if Lelouch was somewhere within the Wired, the fact remained that he was not _here _with him. This ghost just reminded him of what he could no longer reach and might never find. Perhaps it was an omen and Suzaku felt his uneasiness prior to entering the Wired return with a vengeance.

The ghost chuckled.

"_I guess that isn't much, though."_ it said.

It turned and started to walk away again until it gradually faded into nothingness, leaving Suzaku alone.

"It was more than enough." Suzaku muttered to someone who couldn't hear him.

His words had more than one meaning, but the different meanings wrapped themselves around one another to create an entirely different meaning that could not be described with words alone, for emotions and definitions were two very different things. Emotions portrayed what definitions could not name and the definition of Suzaku's words was something that only feelings alone could explain. But they could only be explained to the person the words were for because the feelings, too, were for that person.

And that person was not here.

But someone else was.

"I've seen him before. Do you know him?" Euphemia asked. "Why do you know him?"

Suzaku jumped and whirled around to face her. Her lips were turned downward into a frown and her head was tilted.

For some reason, her acidic touch did not reach the highways.

'_Wait…_'

"You've seen him?!" Suzaku exclaimed.

This virus had seen Lelouch? _His_ Lelouch?

Or was she referring to that ghost?

Euphemia smiled for no apparent reason.

"Yes. I saw him in my sister's city, but he ran away from me." she explained with a small pout. "Just like you are."

'_Her sister's city?_'

Was she referring to Ragnarök, the city her sister had destroyed? Why would Lelouch go there? Well, Lelouch always was the curious type and when Suzaku thought more about it, the teen _had_ expressed a desire to see the city in its destroyed form.

But _how_ did he get there to begin with? The city was untouchable by even its creators.

Melodic giggling roused him from his thoughts and he focused his attention back onto the virus. She had still not entered the highway, but he could not figure out why.

"Come back over here and play with me." she said, sending him another eerie smile.

Suzaku shook his head and took a step back.

"I'll pass." he said in a firm tone.

Euphemia pouted again.

"Oh. Fine then." she said as she turned away from him.

She began to walk the corrupted road as she headed back towards the city, humming a little tune as she passed by the decaying plant life.

Suzaku watched her walk away for a moment before he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

He never noticed the blotch of murky red that Euphemia had left behind her.

As he continued to walk away, the red blotch began to move. It bubbled up and oozed over the border connecting Yggdrasil to the highway.

The moment it did, the doorway to Yggdrasil disappeared.

Tiny tendrils of murky red shot out of the blob and attached themselves onto the concrete earth. It pulled itself forward, leaving a crimson streak behind it. It seemed to gain momentum as more tiny tendrils shot out of its body with increasing speed. It made tiny slapping wet sounds that went unnoticed by Suzaku, but as the tendrils seemed to gain strength, the sound grew louder until it was replaced by a screeching sound that Suzaku heard with utmost clarity.

He paused and slowly turned.

The blob paused as well and other than the low bubbling gasps it produced, remained quiet.

Suzaku stared at the murky creature with growing anxiety. He took a step back, but jumped when the blob moved.

He took two more steps back and more tendrils shot out towards the ground. A long slit spread across the blob's surface. The slit opened into a wide mouth-like shaped, strings of red connecting the edges of the opening together.

A screeching sound emitted from the opening.

And once again, Suzaku found he needed no further incentive to run for his life.

Only this time, his pursuer held no desire to drag the chase out. Rather, it chased after Suzaku with all its might.

Suzaku ran as fast as he could and every time the blob screeched, his heart would pang with fright. He did not want to know what would happen if that thing caught him and so he tried his best to lose the creature. He darted around corners and sprinted down random passageways in hopes of distancing himself from the creature.

His best efforts, however, proved to be futile.

The longer the creature moved, the stronger it seemed to get. Its screeches were gradually becoming deeper and the tendrils that shot out were pulsating with growing strength.

Suzaku did not know how much more his heart could take and he swore he would have a heart attack.

Then he reached a dead end.

"Shit!!! No!! There has to be a door somewhere!!"

He searched the brick walls surrounding him for any trace of a door or alternate alley, but he found nothing.

And that creature was closing in on him.

'_What do I do?!_'

Could he climb over the walls?

No, that wouldn't work. The walls were too high and there was nothing to aid him in scaling them.

Wait. Duh. He could just logout. Suzaku would have laughed at his own stupidity if his nerves weren't so on edge. He would definitely need a couple of cigarettes after this was all said and done.

"Access menu." Suzaku said.

A small transparent blue screen appeared in front of him and he tapped a finger against the letters "LOGOUT". The screen's display shifted and the word PROCESSING appeared on the screen.

The screen shifted suddenly and the translucent blue morphed into a translucent red.

The words ACCESS DENIED flashed across the screen.

"What?!" Suzaku exclaimed. "Close menu!! Access menu!!"

The screen blipped away and then blipped back, its blue color returning. Suzaku tapped the LOGOUT button again, but he received the exact same results.

"Of course." he said with a short laugh. "That's just my fucking luck, isn't it?!"

Alright, alright! Maybe if he hid somewhere and sprinted around the creature when it--no, no!! That wouldn't work!! There was nowhere for him to hide!

"Shit!!" he cursed, slamming a fist against the brick wall in front of him.

He really was trapped.

There was nothing he could do, nowhere else for him to run. He had dived into the Wired knowing that something dangerous awaited him. He had ignored his feelings and had ignored the warning in Lelouch's e-mail.

And now he was going to…die? Was that even possible? What happened to a user when a virus devoured them?

'_What's going to happen to me?_' he wondered.

As another demonic screech reverberated off the brick walls, Suzaku had the feeling that he was about to found out.

He sighed in a depressed manner and sent a weak smile at nothing in particular.

"I'm sorry, Lelouch." he muttered to the air. "I couldn't find you after all."

His gaze lowered to the concrete.

"I hope you can forgive me for being an idiot."

Another screech forced him to look up and he saw that terrible red creature slithering towards him.

He gulped.

This was it, wasn't it. He would learn first hand what happened to users who were snatched away by data bugs.

A thick tentacle of dripping red oozed out of the creature's body and slithered around the concrete in deliberately slow movements, almost as if it were taunting him. That one slithering tentacle was joined by others as the creatures produced more of them. The first tentacle suddenly raised itself off the ground and the others followed suit. The creature opened its mouth and made another terrifying screech before the tentacle darted out towards Suzaku.

Suzaku shut his eyes and turned his head away, bracing himself for the creature's attack.

That never came.

A sudden anguished cry tore out of the creature's mouth and its tentacles seized up before falling to the ground in writhing heaps. Suzaku opened his eyes just as a slick stabbing sound reached his ears and the creature screeched in pain yet again.

He turned his head just in time to see the creature become still. Its body withered and grayed as it decayed into dust.

Murky red glistened and dripped down from the dagger clutched in the pale figure's hand.

The figure shook their head and clicked their tongue in distaste as their eyes looked onto Suzaku's.

"You're a special kind of stupid, aren't you."

-X-X-X-X-

Serena: Yeah, I'm just that mean enough to leave it off like that. XD Good news (or bad news depending on how you look at it), **there is only one chapter left!!!** So…who do you think saved Suzaku? Think you can guess? I won't tell you if you guess it right or not, but I love hearing what you guys think. :D Please leave me a review if can because like I said, I love hearing your opinions.


	5. I'll Tell You Exactly What You Mean Here

Serena: Well, this is it, everyone. This is the final chapter of the story…[sniffles] Oh, I promised myself that I wouldn't cry!! [flees]

Suzaku: o.0 W-Wait!! You have to--never mind. I'll do it. [clears his throat] Like Serena was saying, this is the final chapter of the story. And there is actually going to be real SuzaLulu!! Took her long enough. I mean, how mean can she be to keep me separated from my Lulu like that!! Anyway, she sincerely hopes that the ending turned out okay. I like it, but what is it that people say? Writers are their own worst critiques? Ah, something like that. Anyway, enjoy the final chapter!!!

Warnings: AU. SuzaLulu and a mention of LloydxCecile. A continuation of my "Nightmare" self challenge. Curse words are used. Very vague hints at child abuse and drug use.** Since no one has asked me to up the rating, I will quit asking. XD**

I would like to thank the following people for reviewing: Asami-chan37, iceley11, depewcampbell, Patet, NeverEverStar, Tainted Ink And Paper, Blackrose2005, Altair718, Spunkay Skunk, nachan, TheLadyPendragon, Syaoran's Sakura, bubbleheadz, Anon., LookingForMeaning, Mizuki-sempai, blood lust 43110, animelover12, Cool Moon, Shinigami996890!

Special thanks go to Wynster McG for all the wonderful scientific information! It was amazingly useful. x3

Summary: Suzaku's best friend, Lelouch Lamperouge, overdosed on a bottle of sleeping pills and died. The day after the funeral, he sent Suzaku an e-mail. // "You don't have to be alone anymore…because I'm here for you. And I always will be."

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. Story and story title inspired by the song Hello by Poe and by Serial Experiments Lain. Also, credit goes to The Solar Being for giving me the idea for the Zodiac part…which didn't turn out that great. The mythology and drug parts were retrieved from Wikipedia.

-X-X-X-X-  
Title: Disconnected Modem

Final Transmission: I'll Tell You Exactly What You Mean Here

By: Serena the Hikari of Love  
-X-X-X-X-

The figure let the dagger fall from their hand as it suddenly began to sizzle. It clattered against the concrete loudly and the smell of burning metal filled the small area rather quickly. The areas of the dagger that had been covered in the creature's murky red blood began to disappear as if it had been touched by Euphemia's acid. The figure did not seem to care that their weapon was being devoured by the creature's blood. Rather, they sighed in an almost bored fashion and raised their arms above their head in a stretch.

"He said you could be rather dense at times, but to think that you're actually _this_ stupid…"

Suzaku bristled at the accusation and sent a small glare at the figure, momentarily forgetting that he had been saved by this person.

The figure had long lime strands of hair bundled up under a cream-colored beret and she held a pair of amber jewels that infuriated Suzaku with their casual disregard. A purple shirt and tan short jacket adorned her torso while a white skirt and black and purple leggings covered her legs. Hanging around her waist was a cream-colored belt with a pouch attached, the contents of which were probably dangerous--considering she had held a dagger in her hands only a few seconds ago.

"I don't believe you have the right to judge someone you've never even met." he stated sharply.

This girl had no right to damn his I.Q. as if she knew him. That right was reserved for one person and one person only. How dare she--hold on. She said the word "he". Could she mean…?

"What do you mean by 'he'_?" _he asked her. "Are you talking about-"

"-Lelouch?" the girl finished for him with a slight rolling of her eyes. "Who else?"

The girl reached up and pulled her beret off, her flowing tresses gracefully falling around her as she shook her head.

"Ahhh." she sighed, a hand running through her hair. "It feels good to let my hair down."

"Who are you?" Suzaku demanded.

The girl clicked her tongue, displeased by his rudeness. She set the beret upon her head and placed one hand against her hip.

"If that's the kind of attitude you're going to have after I saved your sorry ass, then fine." she stated, her cat-like amber eyes set in a glare.

She turned on her heel, her lime strands flying around her as she moved.

"I can just tell him that you were eaten by that data bug." she said as she took a few steps away. "Then he can cry over you and I can eat a pizza."

Suzaku flinched.

This girl was incredibly infuriating and he wanted nothing to do with her, but he could _not_ allow her to tell Lelouch such a lie, to make him shed tears for someone who was not worth them. He had come this far to find Lelouch and had actually managed to find a link to reach him--despite it being an accident. He was so close and if he let this girl slip away, he would lose the one key that had been mercifully given to him and he would lose Lelouch all over again.

"Wait!" Suzaku called out.

The girl paused in her movements as Suzaku ran a few paces towards her. She turned slightly and waited for him to continue.

"Look, I'm sorry." he began in a forced apologetic tone. "Thank you for saving me."

"…go on." the girl said, gesturing for him to continue.

Suzaku sighed.

"I'm just worried for Lelouch and I _really_ want to find him." he continued. "Please take me to him. I'll give you whatever you want in return. Just…_please_…"

It took an awful lot of effort for Suzaku to say that to her. His pride took a rather nasty blow, but if reciting apologies that he did not mean or making promises that he did not want to fulfill led him to Lelouch…then so be it.

The girl remained silent a moment, but the twinkling in her eyes let Suzaku know that she was amused.

He wished that he could taste cigarettes within the Wired.

Because he needed one _now_, damn it.

The girl hmphed and began to move forward again.

"Alright. I'll take you to him." she consented. "Just follow me, boku. My name is C.C., by the way."

-X-X-X-

C.C. threw her arms out and gracefully twirled around in the center of a tall bookcase ring.

"Welcome to our home!" she proclaimed in a surprisingly pleasant voice.

The sudden shift in her personality confused him and made him blink in awe. He was unaware that she was even capable of producing such a vocal tone. Her voice may have carried the gentle tone of an angel's and her soft features may have given her a porcelain doll appearance, but this girl was a deceiver. Her appearance betrayed her inner self, her true nature.

And that was of an inconceivably rude and infuriating little witch.

But…perhaps his judgment of her was off base. Right here, at this very moment, she seemed almost cheerful. An almost unidentifiable smile was gracing her supple lips and there was a twinkle of mirth in her eyes.

What was that saying? Never judge a book by its cover?

Suzaku supposed that he had not followed that advice very well and felt a twinge of guilt. Who was he to judge this girl simply because she came off as rude and uncaring? He did not know her or the things she had dealt with in her life. Perhaps she had had a reason for acting in such a cold manner before. Maybe she just needed some sort of assurance that he would not harm her.

As her twirl came to an end and she faced him once more, her invisible smile disappeared and she lost the twinkle in her eyes.

Or maybe she was just screwing with his head.

"Your friend is over there." she stated, a hand gesturing in the direction of a dark aisle of books. "Follow the librarian. She will lead you to him."

She turned on her heel, that long hair of hers flying around her.

"Best of luck to you, boku." she called back to him as she slowly began to disappear into the darkness of the library.

Suzaku took a step forward, his mouth opening in preparation of telling her to "wait" once again.

This library was a vast sea of knowledge that had accumulated throughout the years, some of it forgotten and some of it probably still in use. There was no clear way of knowing the true size of it, but just the thought of making one wrong turn or bumping into one wrong scrap of data made him shiver.

What if he ran into another data bug that was of the same species as that blob creature?

Or what if he found…something worse?

C.C. saved him last time, but Suzaku was not fool enough to believe in a repeat performance from her. If he bumped into something nasty, he was on his own. He had no weapons capable of killing such dangerous creatures and fighting them with nothing but his fists was not the best of ideas. He had seen what had happened to C.C.'s dagger.

Imagine the same thing happening to his skin.

He imagined that it would hurt, but would it? Could he feel pain here in the Wired?

The company in charge of the Wired guaranteed their users' safety. They claimed that it was perfectly safe. As it said in the manual: "The procedure used to access the Wired is 100% safe. Users do not feel any pain and cannot come to any harm during their visits to the Wired's servers."

But what about earlier? He had _smelled_ the burning metal of C.C.'s dagger. The only senses that were _supposed_ to be used within the Wired were sight and sound. Although, he had not felt the scrape of flesh against brick when he had punched that brick wall earlier…so maybe he had imagined the smell?

He shook his head and his mouth closed as he watched C.C. merge into the library's dark abyss.

He would be alright. Dumb luck had brought him this far and if he could make it here, then he could make it to Lelouch.

He could.

No.

He _would_.

'_I have to. I…I need him._'

Suzaku could not explain the feelings that flowed through him whenever he thought of Lelouch. All he knew was that he felt this intense need to protect him and this overwhelming urge to make him happy. He needed to be by his side, for Lelouch to be by _his_ side. For always and always.

Suzaku turned to face the creeping darkness of the aisle C.C. had gestured to and began to walk.

C.C. had mentioned that a librarian would help him reach Lelouch. The mysterious girl had not said where she would be or even if Suzaku would ever find her. She had only said that this librarian would take him to Lelouch. He was not that fond of C.C., but she _had_ rescued him and in her own way, she really was trying to help.

As he gradually disappeared into the darkness of the aisle, he figured that he really had no choice but to trust this girl he barely knew.

Only his Lelouch would become friends with such an infuriating person, after all.

-X-X-X-

He was nervous in all sorts of ways.

His elegant eyebrows were furrowed and his lovely gems were filled with a fear that would surprise many to see. His delicate hands were constantly moving, wringing each other and fumbling with books that he could never seem to read more than a few words of.

The books were mocking him, their words dissolving into horrific portrayals of events that he did not want to happen.

Acid eating away at slightly tanned skin until the veins and bones underneath were slowly being devoured as well.

Perfectly toned limbs being torn apart by vicious globs of pulsating red.

And the screams that he imagined.

Oh God, _no_.

It made his insides writhe and made wetness gather in his eyes. His head was spinning and he felt so sick.

'_Why?…why didn't he listen to me?!_'

His eyes narrowed and a hand moved to his cheek to wipe away the water that was trickling down them.

"You fucking idiot. I hate you!" he muttered, his sleeve gradually becoming wet as he furiously tried to stop the flowing of water running down his face. "Why don't you ever listen to me?!"

He never once heard the footsteps that neared him or the sharp intake of breath that disturbed the silence of the peaceful area.

So he had no idea that he was not alone.

"Because I'm stubborn."

-X-X-X-

"You must be Suzaku."

That sudden voice had startled the brunet, making his heart give a sudden lurch in fear.

He had been walking through the dark aisle that C.C. had gestured down and he had been walking for such a long time--it _seemed_ like a long time anyway. His eyes had adjusted themselves to the darkness, but it was still quite hard to see and it was so very quiet, only the sound of his own footsteps echoing against the marble flooring. The eerie similarity to his arrival in Yggdrasil had not escaped him. The dead silence had set his nerves on edge and had put him into a state of constant alert.

He had listened and listened for _any_ extra noise that his ears could catch--he listened so very, very hard.

But he had heard nothing.

Absolutely _nothing_.

The silence made him paranoid. He had continuously glanced over his shoulder and had kept a wary eye on the various books surrounding him, as if some gruesome apparition were going to suddenly materialize and drag him away.

But nothing had appeared and he had started to relax a bit.

Then that voice had drifted through the darkness, along with a small light.

A curvy figure dressed in a navy blue business dress glided out from around the now visible corner of one bookshelf. She held a small candle in her hands and her lips were held up into a kind smile that made her icy blue eyes shine with love. She seemed so calm and motherly that it took Suzaku by surprise. He had been expecting to meet someone with C.C.'s manners. This was actually a nice surprise.

Was this motherly azure-haired woman the librarian that C.C. spoke of?

"Oh my, I did not mean to startle you!" she said, her lips turning downward slightly.

Her eyes acted accordingly and morphed from the love-filled shine to a concern-coated glaze.

"Y-You just surprised me a little. I was not expecting to see someone so soon." Suzaku explained, trying to alleviate the woman's concerns.

The woman's eyes brightened and her smile returned.

"Oh, I see. Well, it _is_ very quite here." she said. "Oh, yes! My name is Cecile Asplund and I oversee this library. It is very nice to meet you, Suzaku."

'_Asplund?_'

The name pulled at a thin thread of his memory. He had heard it before, had met someone with that same name.

Lloyd Asplund, the coroner who performed Lelouch's autopsy.

Was Cecile related to him? She looked nothing like him, but there were many people who looked nothing like their family members. So just because she did not look like him did not mean that they weren't related in some way.

Perhaps she was Lloyd's wife?

"_Let's just say that I know the feeling."_

When Lloyd said that he knew the feeling, was Cecile who he meant?

Suzaku wanted to ask Cecile about it, but he felt a little strange about asking her something so personal.

"Who are you searching for?" Cecile asked.

"Oh…ah, his name is Lelouch Lamperouge." Suzaku answered.

"Ah, my little library regular!" Cecile exclaimed, giggling slightly. "I saw him just a moment ago. He seemed upset for some reason, but he would not tell me anything."

Suzaku frowned and his eyebrows knit together.

Lelouch was…upset? Why? Did someone hurt him?!

'_Or maybe he knows I came here._' the brunet mused. '_He specifically told me not to come, but I did anyway. He _would _become upset over something like that._'

Cecile turned slightly and beckoned for him to follow her.

"He is not far. Please, follow me."

Suzaku trailed after her without another word. She led him through a few sets of bookcases and it really did not take long for the two to reach an opening within the book labyrinth.

And that was where Suzaku had to pause and take a sharp intake of breath.

He did not hear the beginning of the other's mumbled words, only managing to catch the end of it.

"Why don't you ever listen to me?!"

Suzaku answered without thinking.

"Because I'm stubborn."

-X-X-X-

Arthur mewled and pawed at Suzaku's leg, trying to gain the human's attention. When that did not work, he tried mewling louder and tried hopping into the brunet's lap.

He received no response.

Arthur blinked up at his master's human and his tail curled around his body.

It had been a while since he had last heard the brunet speak and he was beginning to wonder.

-X-X-X-

"Lelouch…" Suzaku murmured, taking a step forward.

Lelouch turned, his amethyst eyes still watery from the tears he had failed to finish wiping away.

After seeing that sight, Suzaku wasted no time in closing the distance between them and wrapped his friend up into a tight hug.

"Lelouch…i-it's really you this time, right?" he asked, burying his face into the crook of Lelouch's neck. "Y-You're not another ghost, are you?

He was praying that this thin figure wrapped in his arms was real, hoping that this was really his Lelouch. He felt warm liquid welling up within his eyes and promptly shut them.

"S-Suzaku…" Lelouch murmured, his arms snaking around Suzaku's back. "y-you idiot. I told you not to come, but you came anyway."

Lelouch's fingers gripped the fabric of Suzaku's jacket as he leaned closer.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" he asked, causing Suzaku's lips to pull into a small smile.

Any doubts that he had before were gone now.

This was his Lelouch. He had finally found him.

Cecile smiled at the endearing sight. She was happy for the two, happy that they could be reunited. She turned and quietly glided away to give the two their much needed privacy.

Perhaps one day, she could have such a reunion with her dear eccentric husband. It was something she dreamed of quite often.

-X-X-X-

Arthur was beginning to wonder if the brunet had finally found what he was looking for. But if that was the case, then his time here was coming to an end.

And the feline could feel that this was so.

-X-X-X-

"Do _you_ have any idea how much I missed you?" Suzaku asked, pulling back from the hug enough to face Lelouch. "I lost my entire stash of cigarettes because of you."

"You and your nicotine." Lelouch mumbled in disapproval.

He brought a hand around to flick Suzaku against his forehead.

"Ow!"

Lelouch's eyes widened.

"Y-You _felt_ that?" he asked incredulously.

It was the tone that his voice carried that caused Suzaku to worry.

-X-X-X-

Arthur jumped down from Suzaku's lap and began to make his way toward the front door, but he paused and turned his head to look back.

He knew he should not feel sad, but the feeling still came all the same.

-X-X-X-

Suzaku tried to shake of the feeling that came to him. It was that same ominous feeling that had continuously haunted him throughout his visit to the Wired. He had no reason to feel it, though. He had finally found his darling Lelouch and now everything could be set right.

"You're making it sound like a bad thing and it's not." Suzaku said, worry beginning to shine within his eyes. "Right?"

Lelouch's eyes narrowed slightly and he turned his head away.

"Suzaku…"

"_Right_, Lelouch?" Suzaku repeated, his concern only growing.

"No, Suzaku." Lelouch answered quietly. "It _is_ bad. Y-You're integrating too closely with the Wired."

Suzaku blinked.

"…what?"

He was…integrating too closely? What did Lelouch mean by that?

Lelouch shook his head and pushed away from the brunet.

"No. You--I _cannot_ let this happen to you, too!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"Let _what_ happen?" Suzaku asked, following after Lelouch as he started walking away. "Lelouch, where are you going?!"

Lelouch rushed over to a set of thick dark-colored tomes and he quickly scanned the titles in search of something.

"There may still be a chance to get you out of here before you integrate completely." Lelouch stated, his eyes brightening as they read the printed words he was looking for.

He reached out a hand, preparing to snatch the book out of its place.

But Suzaku's hand darted out and grabbed his arm.

"Suzaku, you--"

Suzaku silenced him.

And Lelouch's eyes widened in surprise.

-X-X-X-

Suzaku and Lelouch had each other now and that is how it would always be. Arthur knew this, but still…goodbyes were hard.

-X-X-X-

Suzaku pulled away and took satisfaction in the flustered appearance Lelouch had adopted.

"Now, tell me what it is that you are fretting over."

Lelouch blinked, his cheeks ablaze with hues of pink. He wanted to question Suzaku's…silencing method, but decided to save it until after he had explained his worries.

"W-Well," Lelouch began as he tried to compose himself. "normally when a user integrates with the Wired, they only merge with the system by a certain percentage. I would guess about 75% of a user's consciousness merges with the system, but there are some cases in which a user integrates too much of their consciousness with the Wired and they cannot separate from the system."

Suzaku blinked.

"Then…all those comatose victims you mentioned in your e-mail…"

Lelouch nodded, his expression turning grim.

"They all merged within the system completely." he stated in confirmation. "The experiments that the government was conducting were to see how far a human could dive into the system. In every experiment, the user lost consciousness after reaching 100% of system integration. They knew how dangerous it was to use this system…but they never told anyone. They don't care about the people they govern."

'_So I'm…stuck here?_'

So that was why he had been able to smell the burning metal of C.C.'s dagger and why he had felt the thump Lelouch had aimed at his forehead. That must also be why he could not logout earlier. He was becoming one with the system…just like so many others had.

But is that what had happened to Lelouch?

"What about you?" Suzaku asked. "Is that what happened to you?"

Lelouch nodded his head again.

"Yes. I was accessing the system when…well, you know." he muttered. "And I meant what I said in the e-mail. I really am sorry that I left like that."

'_But it wasn't your fault._'

Despite what Lelouch said, Suzaku still did not believe that Lelouch had actually killed himself. He had thought about the subject for a long time and had reached the conclusion that Charles had had a hand in Lelouch's death.

And after his talk with Lloyd, that belief had only grown.

It may be that Lelouch had been given extra pills without his knowledge and the only way Suzaku could think of was that Charles had either spiked Lelouch's drink or food with crushed up sleeping pills.

Charles had never tried to poison Lelouch before. The man wasn't the type to use such a sneaky method like that when he could just harm someone the normal way. (If Charles _had_ tried something so underhanded, then Lelouch never told him of it.)

Perhaps Lelouch had been fixing himself a glass of water or juice and had stepped away to feed Arthur. Arthur's food dish was located in Lelouch's room--Lelouch did not trust Charles with Arthur in any way. It would have been very easy for Charles to slip a handful of crushed up pills into Lelouch's drink, stir it, and then dart out of the kitchen before Lelouch returned.

That was just one scenario that could have happened, but whatever had happened, Suzaku was sure that Lelouch was not at fault for his own death.

"Lelouch…you seem to think that you killed yourself, but I just do not believe that." Suzaku stated firmly, his eyes flaring up in hatred for the man who had hurt his friend.

Lelouch blinked, a confused shine coating his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "I took a few extra pills when I shouldn't have. I thought I would be okay, but then I just got so drowsy and--"

"_Think_, Lelouch." Suzaku insisted, shaking his head at the explanation. "Did you eat or drink _anything_ that tasted off to you?"

Lelouch frowned and thought for a moment.

He remembered eating something before he retired to his room. He remembered it being rather murky and red…and it _had_ tasted somewhat funny, but he had ignored it.

"Tomato soup." he said suddenly, remembering the food he had eaten. "I remember eating that before I took the pills. It _did_ taste a little strange…sort of chalky…but I was not feeling too well at the time so I never thought much about it."

"That _bastard_." Suzaku seethed, causing Lelouch to stare at him in alarm. "I knew it!"

"Suzaku?"

Lloyd had said that there was an abnormally large amount of benzodiazepine within Lelouch's system. Considering how many pills Lelouch had taken, that was normal.

But Lelouch said it himself, he only took a _few_ extra pills. He thought he would be fine.

"Lelouch, you need to know this. Your father fed you extra pills without you ever realizing it." Suzaku told the other.

Lloyd had also made an odd comment about Lelouch being strangely drowsy _before_ his supposed overdose. If Lelouch had not needed any pills, why take more? The likeliest possibility was that the pills Charles had slipped him had made it uncharacteristically hard for him to think correctly; therefore, he had not been in his right mind when taking the pills afterward.

Lelouch's eyebrows knit together.

"But…how?"

Suzaku's eyes dimmed and he pulled the boy into a gentle hug.

"That soup you ate. You said it tasted sort of chalky, right? I think he crushed some of your pills up and threw them in there." he responded, reaching up to run a hand through Lelouch's silky head of hair.

Lelouch was at a loss for words. It had never occurred to him that his father would do such a thing. Sure, the man did many other cruel things to him throughout his life, but to think that he would actually--?

'_No. I don't want to think about it._' he thought, putting a halt to the thoughts of his father.

He buried his head into Suzaku's chest and tried to focus onto something else.

Like Suzaku.

Suzaku was here now and that safe feeling that he always felt whenever the other was around him was here, too. The other male made him feel safe and loved. Even if his feelings were not returned, this is what he would focus on. This and nothing else.

Just as he always did.

"I've had a lot of time to think about this, Lelouch." Suzaku began after a few moments of silence. "I've thought about what would happen if I ever found you and I've thought about the reasons why I like being around you so much."

Suzaku smiled.

"And I realized that if I ever found you, I would stay with you."

Lelouch pulled away from the other and sent him a questioning look. He opened his mouth to speak, but his rosy lips were covered up by Suzaku's yet again and he was effectively silenced. It lasted only a brief moment, but that moment was enough to send a pleasant tingle throughout Lelouch's body.

Suzaku pulled away again, barely an inch separating his lips from the other's.

"You've always been the type that keeps to himself." Suzaku continued. "And you've always tried to deal with things on your own when you didn't have to."

Suzaku tilted his head to place a little kiss against Lelouch's forehead.

"But I won't allow you to be alone anymore, Lelouch." Suzaku said, placing a kiss against Lelouch's nose. "I did not allow it in life and I refuse allow it in death."

His hold on Lelouch tightened as he hugged the boy closer to his chest.

"You don't have to be alone anymore…because I'm here for you." Suzaku breathed at last. "And I always will be. I love you too, you know."

Suzaku initiated another lip lock, but this one lasted for a much longer time than the others had.

Lelouch was never happier than he was upon realizing that his feelings were returned.

And Suzaku shared that feeling as well.

-X-X-X-

Content with the knowledge that he had fulfilled his purpose--his final unfinished desire for his master to find happiness--, Arthur turned away from the unresponsive human behind him.

The body behind him would never utter another word within this world for as long as it existed and no doctor or specialized surgeon that existed would ever be able to change that.

In the months to come, that body would eventually be taken off life-support after a doctor had confirmed to the family that had taken responsibility over the body that the brain was dead. The family would grieve for the loss of yet another loved one and would bury him next to the only person in the world that he had ever fallen in love with.

A few more months after the burial, one Charles Pendragon would be found bound in a body bag and tossed in a dumpster. The official report would label it as a mob killing, but no one would feel saddened by his untimely death.

Especially after various documents and other evidence would be discovered inside his residence revealing him to be a child abuser and the true culprit to his own son's death.

The ruling of "Suicide" would be changed to "Murder" for the son and the family of the deceased--as well as the coroner--would take great satisfaction in having this truth revealed to the public.

As for Arthur, his body would be found in an advanced state of decomposition among the flowerbeds of Charles's home. The official ruling would be that the little feline had met the same fate as his owner and another murder would be blamed upon Charles.

Arthur mewled a goodbye to the two humans having a happy reunion in another world and continued to walk away, his furry body gradually fading into the paradise that was awaiting him.

-X-X-X-X-

Serena: [cries] Arthur!!!

Suzaku: She's still at it…so I'll finish everything up. Ahem. Serena wants to thank everyone for all the lovely reviews, favorites, and alerts that she received for this story. She had a lot of fun writing this and is very happy that so many people enjoyed it. She is also very glad that she continued to write for this story and she hopes that you will leave her one last little review for this story to tell her what you thought about the ending. She actually does like how the ending came out, by the way. Anyway, thank you all again for sticking with this random idea. Oh, and to answer a question you may have, Charles never told me that Arthur was already gone. He fully intended to let me find him in the flowerbed, but Arthur's ghost found me instead. Oh and Lelouch had his last name changed to his mother's maiden name…for obvious reasons. That's all. Thanks again! Bye!!


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